"Yes. Wei'er understands." Jiang Wei replied obediently.
"Then come with me! I'll give you the account book first. I've already returned with some of the grain, cotton, and charcoal today, and the rest should arrive in about three to five days," Chen Yunfan said to Jiang Wei.
He bowed to his father at the head of the table and said, "Father, I will take Wei'er downstairs now."
Chen Yan stroked his gray beard. "Go!" He added before finishing, "Wei'er, don't let one bad experience with a man make you afraid of marriage and give up the chance for a happy, fulfilling life with many children and grandchildren. Next time, we'll carefully consider and definitely choose a good one for you. Don't worry, your maternal grandfather and uncles are here for you..."
He earnestly told Jiang Wei that he was afraid his precious child would grow old alone, with no one to care for him.
Jiang Wei's eyes reddened and she couldn't speak. She could only force a smile and manage a weak "hmm" before turning and leaving with Chen Yunfan.
She didn't want to cry; she didn't want her elderly grandfather to suffer along with her.
Jiang Wei felt much calmer; her grandfather's love had healed much of her anxiety.
When Jiang Wei followed Chen Yunfan to his yard to get the account book.
It was already dark when they went outside. Madam Xu stood at the door, looking around and waiting for Chen Yunfan.
Upon seeing Chen Yunfan enter, she went to greet him, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection, "Why did you only just return!"
A smile unconsciously appeared on Chen Yunfan's face. "Well, I'm back now."
“Oh, right! Even after being away for more than half a year, Second Master Chen still knows the way home…” Xu Shi hadn’t finished speaking.
Jiang Wei: "..."
Jiang Wei quickly poked her head out, "Second Aunt."
She didn't know if there was anything she couldn't hear, but if she let her second aunt continue, both of them would probably feel very embarrassed the next time they saw her.
As expected, Madam Xu blushed in the darkness. Fortunately, it was dark and no one could see her. She never expected that Jiang Wei would come back with her husband.
Chen Yunfan sensed something was wrong with his wife. "Wei'er, come with me to get the account book."
Jiang Wei quickly added, "Yes, Second Aunt, Wei'er will leave after taking the account book."
This is like trying to hide something obvious.
Mrs. Xu, wringing her handkerchief, didn't hear what they were saying at all, only responding with "uh-huh, uh-huh."
Fortunately, Jiang Wei left with the account book after a while.
Ms. Xu was lying on the bed wearing her nightgown, covering her face. Chen Yunfan walked in, but she turned over and ignored him.
Chen Yunfan lay down beside her, smiling, and said, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy that your husband is back?"
Xu shifted her body closer to him, ignoring him and remaining silent.
Chen Yunfan placed his hand on Xu's waist, hugged her, and kissed her neck. "My wife smells so good. This is the scent I miss most when I'm away from home."
Xu felt a tickle on her neck from his breath, and her attitude softened as she listened to her husband's sweet words. "Smooth talker..."
Chen Yunfan's hand moved involuntarily, "Are you just going to keep turning your back to your husband like this? My wife, please have some pity on your husband and turn around to look at me!"
Annoyed by him to no end, Xu turned around, cupped his face in her hands, and carefully examined him.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and they poured out their longing and tender feelings to each other.
For a moment, the restlessness in their hearts caused their bodies to move uncontrollably...
The next morning, Jiang Wei sent people to guard Zuichunlou, while Chen Hui went to pick up Mingzhao.
Jiang Wei didn't sit idle either, taking Lian Sang to look for shops. They looked at several shops in a row, and when it was almost lunchtime, they went to Zui Chun Lou to find Ming Zhao.
Jiang Zai Shui, along with Aunt Liu and the others, enjoyed a happy family time together.
After getting off the carriage, Aunt Liu followed Jiang Zai Shui and was about to enter Zui Chun Lou.
A little beggar approached her with a broken bowl, but Aunt Liu glared at him viciously and shooed him away in disgust, afraid that he would soil her clothes.
Jiang Zai Shui glanced back at the dirty little beggar, then walked expressionlessly into Zui Chun Lou.
The little beggar rushed forward, "Sir, please have mercy and give me something to eat. I haven't eaten for days, please." The little beggar held out his bowl to him.
Jiang Zai Shui frowned, showing no intention of giving him any copper coins, only feeling it was bad luck.
He led Aunt Liu inside.
As the waiter was about to lead them to a private room on the second floor, Jiang Zaishui ran into his colleague and went over to greet him.
Aunt Liu's cousin quietly walked up to her side, "Cousin," Liu Guan said in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Aunt Liu was so focused on following Jiang Zai Shui's movements that she didn't notice when someone else had appeared beside her.
She was startled and turned around to look at him with disgust, about to curse, when she realized that the person who came was her cousin. She secretly glanced in the direction of Jiang Zai Shui.
"Cousin, what brings you here? Is something the matter?" she asked cautiously.
She then hurriedly told her children, "You go upstairs first, Mom will be there in a bit."
Outside the Drunken Spring Pavilion, the little beggar walked into the alley and secretly boarded a carriage.
Jiang Wei wrapped him in her cloak and rubbed his hands. "Why do you have to do it yourself? We can just find someone else to do it."
Mingzhao smiled innocently, "Zhao'er can handle it, elder sister, you don't need to worry about me."
He lived at his maternal grandfather's house, and his grandfather and the others never mentioned anything bad about his father.
Mingzhao was incredibly intelligent; he could still sense his maternal grandfather's family's dislike for his father.
He wanted to see for himself how his father would treat his own son.
He didn't care whether he was part of the group that abandoned him back then; he wanted to see how his sister had been bullied by them all these years.
When Aunt Liu turned back to look at Jiang Zaishui, she found he was no longer there, and she felt a little relieved. "What did you come to see me for?"
Manager Liu did not answer her, but instead said, "Let's talk in the private room first."
The two went upstairs one after the other.
After Aunt Liu entered, Steward Liu looked around to make sure no one was outside before closing the door.
"What's going on? Why aren't you staying at the estate? What are you doing here?" Aunt Liu asked.
Manager Liu said anxiously, "It's gone."
"What's missing?" Aunt Liu asked, displeased. She blurted out whatever came to mind. Had she gone mad from being stuck at the estate?
"It's the child you asked me to take away ten years ago. He suddenly disappeared these past few days. We've searched everywhere on the estate, but we still haven't found him." Steward Liu looked anxious and paced back and forth a few times.
"What are you panicking about! You've managed to raise him all these years without killing him, what have you been doing? Now that he's run away, you know you're coming to me? Where could a ten-year-old child possibly run off to?" Aunt Liu was very dissatisfied with him.
“You came all the way to Kyoto to find me? How could he possibly come all the way to Kyoto? How could a ten-year-old child know the way?” Aunt Liu straightened her expensive clothes. “Go back, there’s no need to look anymore. In this cold weather, he might freeze to death there.”
Manager Liu wasn't annoyed by the scolding. "That's because the child is Chen Xuening's legitimate son with my brother-in-law. That's why I was afraid of making a mistake and came to you."
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